The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said he has already invited the Auditor-General to conduct a full-scale audit into all evacuations since 2017.
He makes the point that this forms part of efforts to ensure full-scale accountability on how the funds of Ghanaians are utilised.
Ablakwa had said he was prepared to render full accountability for the cost of evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa in view of the xenophobic attacks.
“We have invited the audit service to come into conduct a thorough audit into all evacuations since 2017.
“This is the first time a Foreign Affairs Minister is fully accounting for the financial expenditure incurred for an evacuation exercise,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, October 10.
His comments come at a time when the Minority in Parliament renewed its demand for the government to provide comprehensive documentary evidence on the expenditure incurred during the voluntary evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa amid recent xenophobic attacks.
The demand followed a September 7 briefing by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in which he disclosed that government spent GH¢49.7 million to evacuate 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.
However, the Minority maintains that the minister’s disclosure must be backed by documents that will allow Parliament and the public to independently verify the expenditure.
The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo Adjei Ayeh, had earlier filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking details of the evacuation, including expenditure records and information on individuals and organisations that supported the exercise and the amounts they contributed.
Addressing the press on Thursday, September 10, following the Foreign Affairs Minister’s briefing, Asafo Adjei Ayeh said the Minority was not demanding private information about the evacuees but rather documents necessary to establish the accuracy of the government’s financial account.
“Nobody is asking government to publish passport, medical diagnosis, bank account numbers or other unnecessary private information. We are asking for enough documentary information to verify the public account,” he said.
He said the Minority supports the government’s decision to assist Ghanaians who wished to return home and acknowledged the Minister’s disclosure as an important step, but argued that the figures announced at a press conference could not, on their own, constitute sufficient verification.
According to him, the government’s claims that the exercise had been completed, all liabilities settled, 1,964 people evacuated, and GH¢49,721,786 spent must be supported by the relevant financial and operational records.
“If the books are closed, then let’s open the books. Let the travel ledger reconcile with the payment ledger. Let the first phase manifest reconcile with the final first phase number. Let every commercial batch reconcile with the ticket and invoice,” he said, adding, “We do not need accusations where documents can provide answers. We do not need speculation where accounts can be established,” he added.
The Minority therefore wants the government to make the complete documentary account of the exercise available, arguing that such disclosure would strengthen public confidence in the evacuation and demonstrate transparency in the use of public funds.
Mr Ablakwa responded to this, saying “I can confirm that I have responded to the minority’s RTI and I have also written to the auditor general for a full and thorough investigation into the audit. We have nothing to hide.”
